ARTIST: Verona Grove
TITLE: The Story Thought Over
LABEL: PRC
GENRE: Rock
BITRATE: 227kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 0h 37m total
RELEASE DATE: 2007-08-21
RIP DATE: 2007-06-23
Track List
----------
1. Broadcast the News 3:04
2. Everything You Dreamed 2:51
3. No Words To Say 4:41
4. Why Would You 3:05
5. I Haven't Got Much (But I'm 2:47
Getting Somewhere)
6. Revolution 3:38
7. Small Town Celebrity 3:25
8. A Song for the New Year 3:14
9. My Hero 3:36
10. Goodbye Surrender 3:12
11. Chances 4:24
Release Notes:
Everyone has dreams. ItÆs these dreams that fuel us, that keep us moving through
the daily moments of monotony and remind us that extraordinary things are
possible. Verona GroveÆs strikingly memorable debut album, The Story Thought
Over, does more than just remind us that the fulfillment of our dreams is
possible- it inspires us to achieve them.
Almost Hollywood-esque in the story of its fruition, The Story Thought Over is
the result of nearly a year of songwriting, eventually streamlined and focused
in August of 2006 when the trioÆs label, who found and wooed them earlier that
year, transplanted them from Oshkosh, WI to Los Angeles, where they set them up
in an apartment and practice space to pen the record. The experience of that
relocation lifted the musicians, who had never set foot in LA prior to the trip,
outside of their comfort zones and, as Anders says, ôopened [their] eyes to the
rest of the world and whatÆs out there.ö
ôReally getting away from everything in our element in Wisconsin and getting out
of the normal heavily influenced our writing on the record,ö Anders says of the
process. ôA lot of the songs are about a dream. EveryoneÆs got an idea of where
they want to be someday and what they want to do. For me it was happening. We
got this record deal, now we were in LA and I never could have dreamed that, but
here it is. I think thatÆs what a lot of the writing focused on.ö
Five months of writings and several eye-opening experiences later Verona Grove
entered the studio with Jamie Arentzen, producer and guitarist of beloved rock
band American Hi-Fi, who the band says brought a whole other dimension to the
record. Verona Grove spent two months in an LA studio with Arentzen, refining
their already solid songs into 11 hook-driven, thoughtful pop-rock tracks that
resound with the groupÆs signature driving, catchy choruses and AndersÆ
relatable lyrics. The propulsive ôGoodbye Surrenderö exemplifies the threesomeÆs
talent for accessibility with jumping hooks reminiscent of The All-American
Rejects while ôRevolutionö showcases Verona GroveÆs more serious side, with
dipping and soaring guitars and aching vocals. The compelling ôWhy Would Youö
boasts a dangerously infectious chorus, drawing subtle influence from bands like
Jimmy Eat World and The Get-Up Kids.
The cohesive camaraderie of Verona Grove, who originally formed in 2001 in their
hometown of Fond du Lac, WI and have stuck together from high school through
college to today, where they stand on the brink of heavy touring and promotion,
is heavily evident throughout the record. The Story Thought Over, which Anders
describes as ôthe story in your head of what you want your dream to be,ö isnÆt
just an album; itÆs a call of motivation.
ôI see people around that have so much more potential than they use,ö Anders
says of what he hopes listeners will take away from the disc. ôI see people who
are so frustrated with life, but they could get to another level if they just
went out there a little bit more and tried some of the things that they want.
ThereÆs hard times and thereÆs easy times, but you really have to work for what
you want. And if there is something you want you can make it happen.ö
And that, is certainly something Verona Grove would know.